Automatic control system



Oct, as, 1932. J. w. BRYCE 1,882,765

AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 22. 1927 James lilsr ce Patented Oct 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v JAMES W. BRYCE, OF BLOOIFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY auroua'rrc common sxs'rnm Application filed December 22, 1927. Serial No. 241,785.

The invention relates to accounting machines and more particularly to automatic control systems for record controlled tabulators.

' Record controlled tabulatorsare designed to add, list and print totals of items automatically entered in the machine from control records on which the items are represented by index point perforations located 'in difierential positions in the several card columes, each column ordinarily representing one character which may be either a number or a letter. There are two systems of representing characters in the card columns. The simple one consists of representing each character by a single perforation in a column in which case, obviously the number of characters which may be designated is limited to the actual number of index point positions in the card column. The other system consists in representing a single character by one or more index points in which case the capacity of the card column is enormously increased as each index oint position may represent a character by itself and may also enter into combination with any other index point or points in the column to represent a different character.

The cards are fed through the machine automatically and analyzed by suitable mechanism which in turn controls the accumulating and printing devices of the machine so that the data represented by the perforations in the card may be accumulated an -while they are at rest or while they are in motion and while the present system is designed for eithervtype of analysis and for single or combinational hole perforation systems, it is shown for. the'sake of illustration only in connection with single perforation analysis while the cards are in motion.

The controlling records are usually divided into groups representing different classifications, the group classification being represented in each card by similarly located perforations and it is desirable to continue the automatic feeding of the records to the analyzing mechanism as lon as the group classification does notchange ut to interrupt the printed. .The cards may be analyzedcard feed for the purpose of takin totals or performing other operations w en the group changes. This is ordinarily accomplished by providing two' sets of brushes which are spaced apart so that one card feeds to one of them as the preceding card feeds to the other so that the same index point positions on -successive cards are under the two analyzing mechanisms simultaneously.

Tabulators which analyze and control with the records in motion are ordinarily of the electrical t pe and the analyzing mechanism consists o brushes cooperating with individual contacts. The cards are fed between the brushes and their cooperating contacts to single row of brushes usually suflicesto completely analyze each card, these brushes of I course, searching the several index point. positions at difierential times and difi'erentially controlling the adding and printing mechanism toenter items therein according to the difierential time at which the circuit is made at the analyzing brushes. The automatic control system may consist of a circuit including the two sets of analyzing brushes in series and if the cards under the two sets of brushes contain identical controlling perforations this circuit will be closed at some time a 1n the machine cycle serving to keep-the card feed active to feed another card during the succeeding card feeding cycle. trolling perforations are not ldentlcal 1n successive cards, this series circuit fails to make and the machine either stops or automatically takes a total of the data entered into the accumulators. This system, however, is limited ordinarily to the simpler system of character designation in which each character consists of a single index perforation.

The present invention contemplates a system of automatic control which may be used to analyze cards either in motion or at rest and of either a single or combinational system of character designation. The control If the concircuit which determines whether or not the machine shall feed cards during the successive card feeding cycle is controlled from a system of magnets, two magnets being provided for each controlling card column which are wired independently to each of the analyzing brushes for a given card column. These magnets cooperate with their respective armatures which serve to break the circuit to the main control relay when both magnets are energized at the same time or if neither are energized but establishes a circuit to the main relay if one magnet is energized while the other is deenergized. Energizw tion of the main relay under the conditions specified will open contacts in the control circuit which normally are closed. As the cards feed beneath the analyzing brushes the controlling contacts associated with each controlling card column will remain closed as long as the card column is identical in sue-- cessive cards as in this case at every instant during the cycle the magnets will either both be deenergized or energized. If the controlling perforations are different in the given column of two successive cards, at some time in the cycle the circuit of one of the magnets will be closed through a card perforation while the circuit of the other remains open thus permitting the shifted armature to establish the circuit to the main relay which opens the pontacts'in the control circuit. The machine will thereupon either stop after the entry of the data from the card under the lower brushes or automatically institute total taking.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic control device for record controlled accounting machines adapted for either single or combinational hole designations and to provide an improved form of mechanism and arrangement of parts for this purpose.

J A further object of thepresent invention resides in the provision of an automatic control device which is flexible so as to permit one or more card columns to be used for automatic controlling aid to generally simplify the construction of the control device and ma: terially reduce the number of parts hereto fore employed for this purpose. v

Another object of the present invention is to provide a single automatic control device for controlling machine operation in combination with a plurality of controlling devices associated with one or more card columns.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic controlling device for record controlled accounting machines employing either the single or combinational hole system adapted to control machine operation While the records bearing the designations are in motion or at rest and in which each analyzing mechanism consists of a sin- 7 gle row of analyzing devices.

A further object of this invention is to pro vide an automatic control system for accounting machines which is adapted to control machine operation from cards in motion by making an absolute comparison of the cards and controlling machine operation in accordance with like or unlike card columns.

These and incidental objects which will be pointed out hereinafter will be clear from the following detail description which should be read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which there is shown a diagrammatic representation of the control system in combination with a tabulator card feed.

While as stated above the system is applicable to existing machines operating either on stationary or moving cards and in connection with single or combinational systems it has been shown as applied to a machine of the single index point type in which cards are adapted to be analyzed while in motion. The particular type of machine does not enter into the present invention as any other form of machine in which single or combination hole cards are analyzed while at rest or in motion would serve the purpose of explanation and embodiment equally as well.

Referring now to the drawing, a stack of cards to be analyzed is indicated at 150 which are adapted to be advanced by a picker 151 operated by an arm 152 into cooperative relationship with pairs of feeding rolls 153. The picker feeds one card at a time to the rolls 153 which advance it during one machine cycle to the upper or control analyzing brushes 154 and during a later machine cycle to the lower or adding analyzing brushes 169. The rolls and feed mechanism are driven from a shaft 156 rotated by the tabulating motor TM and a gear train indicated generally by 157. The usual form of card feed clutch (not shown) controlled by magnet 55 is interposed in the system to eflect card feed only at giventimes as is customary in machines of this nature.

Current to the tabulating motor TM for feeding cards is supplied from a suitable source 81, which when closed, supplies current to the left side of line 82 and right side of line 83. The tabulating motor TM is started in operation by depressing the start key 80. Current then flows through the TM motor, a relay 7 04, card feeding clutch magnet 55, motor relay 85, start key 80, contacts 86', now closed, emergency stop key 87 now closed, to binder post also extends to cam contacts L--6. After the tabulator motor has operated to a certain amount T1 closes establishing a circuit to which may be used binder post 9. As soon as the upper card lever contacts 63 have closed another holding circuit is established from these contacts to terminal 90, thence to contacts 86, stop key 87 to binder post 9. The card lever contacts 63 maintain the operation of the tabulator provided a relay 84 which controls contacts 86 remains energized. If either 86, 63 or 87' are opened thetabulator will be stopped at the end of the cycle when cam contacts T1 open, the operation being continued up to that time.

As in previous machines, prior to starting up any tabulator operation a resetting cycle is carried out. On a resetting operation such as one manually initiated'before starting the tabulator, lower cam contacts P-3 make establishing a circuit 707 to control relays 91 and 84 thereby energizing these relays. After control relay 91 is energized a stick circuit is established through the relay arma ture, cam contacts C-1, line 741 and back to binder post 12. Cam contacts C -1 break once per card c cle, but'during the time that these contacts reak there is a second holding circuit through the armature of relay 91 and through a control circuit 74 and back by wire- 741 to binder post 12. This circuit is maintained until card groups change.

Following the breaking of circuit 74 the tabulator motor is maintained in operation until cam contacts C1 open whereupon control relays 91 and 84 are deenergized and the tabulator is stopped as previously described.

' The present devices whereby the automatic control ofthe machine is effected bycontrol of the circuit'74 will now be descr bed. The automatic control of the circuit 74 includes a pair of contacts 158 which are normally kept closed by a lever 159 which is latched in contact closing position by an armature 160 of a relay 161. The energization of relay 161 is under control of pairs of relay magnets 162-163 any number of pairs of sired card columns. Relays 162 and 163 are in parallel under certain conditions, their free terminals being connected to their respective plugs 165 and 164. Contact of upper brushes 154 with contact plugs 166 is made through the perforations in the cards, suitable wire connections 167 connecting plugs 166 to plug sockets 168. Similarly lower brushes 169 contact with plugs 170 by perforations in the cards, plugs 170 being connected to plug sockets 171 by connecting wires 172.

For automatic control in any desired column suitable plug connections are made from to control from any dethe related plug sockets 164 and 165 to the plug sockets 168 and 171 of the column in which control is to be made from. An example of one of such connections is shown in the drawing in'dotted lines.

The bars which,carry brushes 154 and 169 are connected to binder post 11 through contacts T5. Contacts T5 make and break once for each machine cycle, making just prior to the adding portion of the cycle and? breaking after the adding portion but before the card completely clears the brushes. From the binder post 11 the circuit extends through lower card lever contacts 64, cam contacts T1 to hinder post 9, or alternatively 30 through cam contacts L-6 and Y--2, thence through cam contacts P3 to binder post 12 to one side 83 of the line. The joined terminals of relays 162 and 163 are connected to a wire 173 which leads to the opposite side 82of the line. Magnets 162 and 163 attract, when "energized, their related armatures Associated with each armature 182 and 183 are a, plurality of contacts 184 connected in crossv relationship. Movement of one armature 182 or 183 without coincident movement of the other will cause the energization of relay 161, a circuit being established from 182, and 183. Y

wire 173 through relay 161, thence by both of the armatures 182 and 183 (one of which is or deenergized the circuit between armatures 182 and 183 will not be made and the rela 161 will not be energized.

Energization of either magnet 162 or 163 without coincident energization of the other causes the energized magnet to attract its armature structure to energize relay 161 which in turn attracts its armature structure 160. When so moved it releases lever 159 permitting. contacts 158 to open under their own resili,ency;v The control circuit 74 when opened remains ope'n until it is restored by a cam 185. This cam rotates once each machine cycle and serves to restore contacts 158 to closed and latched condition after the contacts C1 have opened and closed. The con-' tact blades of contacts 158 are, as usual, resilient so that in machine operations in which contacts 158 are unopened rocking of lever 159 by cam 185 will merely shift the lower ends of both contact blades to the right. Shifting of armature 160 when ,inagnet 161 is energized will, however, permit the lower end of the left blade of contacts 158 to shift to the left a greater amount than the right blade due to its resiliency to thus open the contacts 158.

As premised hereinbefore the magnets 163 are plugged todahe upper brushes 154 and the magnets 162 to the lower branches 169. As

long as the perforations in the card columns agree or even if there is no perforation in a given card column of the cards under the upper and lower brushes, the magnets 162 and 163 in connection with that column will be either deenergize'd or energized. If both are energized both armatures 182 and 183 will be attracted but relay 161 will not be energized. correspondingly if neither magnets 162 and 163 are energized the armatures 182 and 183 will be retained in the position shown and relay 161 will not be energized. As soon as one of the analyzing brushes 154 and 169 encounters a perforation at a time when the other does not encounter a perforation one or the other of magnets 162 or 163 will be energized to attract its corresponding armature. This will through the cross contacts 184 close the circuit to the relay 161 at the armatures 182 and 183. The automatic con trol circuit is thus opened, and remains open until restored by cam 185, causing the machine to either stop or begin automatic total taking, as desired owing to the opening of cam contacts 'C1 which deenergizes motor control relay 84 to open motor control contacts 86 and causes the tabulating motor to cease operation at the end of the cycle on opening of cam contacts T1.

Switch 708 is manually shifted so as to effect an automatic control. The switch is opened when the machine is to be operated under automatic control and closed when the automatic control is to be cut out of operation. When the switch 708 is open and perforations in the cards at the upper and lower brushes disagree the tabulating motor TM will be stopped in the manner previously de scribed and a resetting and total taking operation may then be performed automatically or initiated manually.

If automatic initiation is desired switch 232 is first closed. The cam contacts L-l close momentarily toward the end of each tab ulating cycle. with contacts L1 and controlled from the card feed clutch so that if the clutch is to disengage at the end of the cycle these contacts will close as shown and explained in Patent #1.600,413 establishing a circuit to the re setting motor RM traced as follows: from left side of line 82, reset-motor RM, binder post 2, reset clutch magnet 233, binder post 3, contacts 234 closed toward the end of the last tabulating cycle, binder post 4, contacts lr-l, binder post 5, switch 232, stop key 87, back to binder post 9 to the other side of line 83. The energization of the reset clutch magnet 233 attracts its armature an'dcloses contacts 235 which establ sh a holding circuit for the reset magnet 233 traced as follows: from binder post 2, reset clutch magnet 233, through contacts 235, binder post 6, thence through contacts L2 now closed,'up to bind: er post 12 and back to the right side of the Contacts 234 are in series line. While reset motor RMjs rotating and reset magnet 233 energized, the usual form of clutch member will rotate a reset shaft and reset the counters to zero but prior to such resetting the printing of the total standing upon the counters may be effected by the usual form of mechanism provided for this purpose.

Cam contacts P1 serve at the proper time in the resetting cycle to establish a circuit 240 to hinder post 6 to shunt out reset magnet 233. These contacts serve to maintain the reset motor RM in operation until the end of the reset cycle and upon being opened interrupt the resetting operation bringing the reset motor to rest. Just before the resetting operation is completed contacts P4 close. The closure of these contacts provided the auto matic start switch 241 is previously closed establishes av circuit through the motor relay 85 to restart the tabulating of the next group. This circuit is traced as follows: from left side of line- 82 through tabulator motor TM, relay 704, clutch magnet 55, relay coil 85, manual start switch 241 closed, binder post 7, contacts P-4 now closed, binder post 11, lower card lever contacts 64 closed and upper card lever contacts 63, motor relay contacts 86, stop key 87, to binding post 9, upper contacts P3 which have again been closed, back to line 83.

If it is desired to delay the total printing and resetting after tabulating the cards of a group the switch 232 may be opened in which case the reset motor RM will not operate antomatically but only when the reset key 243 is depressed. Furthermore if switch 241 is opened tabulating will not be resumed automatically after a resetting and total taking operation but only on closure of start key 80.

The invention has now been described in connection with a single operative embodiment thereof but it will be understood that many modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. intention to be limited, therefore, only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. lin an automatic control system for a record controlled machine, a plurality of similar machine elements, a corresponding number of members operated thereby, record controlled controlling means whereby a plurality of said machine elements and said members for a single controll ng column of It is the successive records are operated jointly or any one singly, a machine controlling means operated by the operation of any machine element alone andrelated member, and means controlled by said machine controlling means for effecting one type of machine operation in accordance with the operation'of a pluralit-y of said members and a'difi'erent type of machine operation by any member alone.

2. In an automatic control system for a record controlled machine, a plurality of magnets, a corresponding number of armatures, record controlled controllingmeans whereby a plurality of said magnets for a record controlled machine,-analyzing means for analyzing designations on controlling records, a pair of circuits controlled in accordance with designations in a single controlling column of successive controlling records, a magnet in each circuit, a plurality of armatures associated with the pair of magnets and each movable singly upon energization of one magnet without simultaneous energization of the other magnet, 1ntermed1- ate means between said armatures, and means controlled by said intermediate means whereby the movement of any armature alone alters the type of machine operation.

4. In a tabulating' machine, a plurality of control circuits associated with a single controlling column of successive records each of which includes a magnet having a. series electrical connection through a perforation of a record, a corresponding number of armatures, a machine operation controlling means rendered operative by the movement of any armature alone, and means controlled by said machine operation controlling means for altering the type of machine operation by the movement of any armature alone.

"5. In a tabulating machine, a plurality of.

control circuits associated with a single controlling column otsuccesslve records, a. plurality of control c1rcu1ts each of which includes a magnet having a series connection through a perforation of one of the records, a corresponding number of armatures associated with said magnets, a .machine operat1on controllin circuit in which any one of the; plurality o armatures may be placed in series connection by movement of any armature alone, and means dependent upon the movement of any armature alone for altering the machine operation.

6. In a record controlled machine, analyzmg mechanism including a single brush for successively sensing index points in a column of a controlling record, a single brush for simultaneously sensing index points in a corresponding column of a succeeding record,

a separate circuit controlled by each brush and a magnet in each circuit, a plurality of independently operable armatures associated with said magnets and means controlled by the joint operation of both of said armatures when both magnets are energized or deenergized for determining one type of machine operation, and controlled by any one of said armatures when its corresponding magnet alone is energized to determine another type of machine operation.

7. In an automatic control system for a record controlled machine, analyzing means for successively analyzing index point designations on controlling records, a pair of circuits controlled by said analyzing means controlled by said' index point designations, a magnet in each circuit, a plurality of arma tures each operable singly or a. 'plurality jointly in accordance with unlike or like energizations of said magnets, and means controlled by any armature when operable singly for determining one operation and controlled by said armatures when operable jointly for determining a different type of machine 0 eration.

' In testlmony whereof hereto afiix my sigtype of machine 

